moving tanks... need advice...

[bigdscobra]

Last weekend finished a new stand to hold my 29g reef and a 20g angler tank next to each other under the tanks there is a 10g fuge and 15g sump.. Will be plumed so that everything is connected...

Currently the angler has been in a 10g tank with live rock an a bare bottom since I got him.. The 29g has a mix of fish and other life in it also lots of LR..The 20g that is going to house the angler has had live sand in it with circulation..Neather the sump or fuge as anything in them..

My ??? Is what is the best way to set all this up with keeping everybody alive????

#1 thinking about
getting everything plumed and filling the rest of the 20g, fuge and sump with water letting circulate.. With the 29g still using the filter on it currently (bio wheel 125) and leaving the valve to the sump and fuge closed. Run just the sump, fuge and 20g with no life except the sand for a couple of days than opening the valves on the 29g and letting them all run together like they are suppose to in the end... an adding the angler to his tank..

OR

#2
take everything out or the 29g except the crushed coral bottom and putting it in a 30g rubber made since I will have to lift it onto the stand. and letting everything out of the 29g stay in the rubber made with the filter going and lights for a couple of days while the 29g, 20g and fuge/sump are running together with new water.. than acclimating the fish and adding them into their tanks after two days of letting the system circulate..

What do you think is the best way to do this...?

Thanks
Dan

[bigdscobra]

anybody??

[eric]

Wow, that's confusing. The 29 is staying the same? Are you only adding the 20 angler or both that and the sump/fuge?

Keeping everybody alive? Baby steps....

[bigdscobra]

the 29 is keeping evreything in it
the stand that i built holds the 29 and 20 and underneath for filteration is a fuge and sump..

What i want to do is make it all one system so i am adding the 20 the fuge and the sump making it all flow together the only thing with fish in it is the 29 so should i take them out till everything settles in a couple of days???

[bigdscobra]

pics of the stand to give you an idea

[bigdscobra]

should i take out all the livestock in the 29g let eveything run together for a couple of days than acclimate the fish to the new water. since there will be soo much water added from the sump fuge and 20g tanks..

[eric]

You're having to phsically move the 29, though? I suppose the 29 will be on the top left and 20 on the right? The 20 with the live sand should complete it's cycle first. If it can be kept out of the loop, then you could move the 29. But the cycle would probably be slower with the lack of water volume.

If the live sand has completely cycled: Personally I'd just start adding stuff to the loop slowly. If it's just a matter of a dust storm, it's probably not a big deal.

It's been quite a while since I had to move anything though.

[LoneStar]

wow, thats confusing.... am i in albuquerque yet?? (whats up doc?!?) ;)

[CD]

This IS confusing, and I may just get everybody even more confused, but this is interesting (what you are trying to do)...

OK, just bear with me, and see if I've got this straight - so you currently have a 20G...with just live sand and water (no critters) How long has this tank been running like that? Long enough to cycle?
Then, you have a 29G with various life/corals (cycled). You will be combining the 20G system with the 29G system, then plumbing them both into a new 15G sump and a 10G fuge to where all four tanks share the same water. Does that sound right? Ok, you didn't mention what you were planning on putting in the 'fuge yet...LR?...sand?...macro? If you set up the 'fuge with a new sand bed or rock there will be a cycle. With displacement from rock and substrate, you will have about...hmm...roughly 65G of water total? That may not be enough volume to offset the new fuge cycling. The sump shouldn't be a problem. It would just be creating more water volume since there won't be any sand or rock...kind of like a big water change.
So I guess the questions I have are A.) The age of the LS bed in the 20G (params wouldn't hurt also), B.) If you are planning on putting LR/BR in the 20G also, and C.) What you were planning on putting in the 'fuge. LMK? :)

Wendy

[bigdscobra]

Wendy you have it perfect sorry guys to make this all cofussing..... The sand in the 20g came from Todd and has cycled by its self... Tomarro iam getting some more sand from Todd to put in the fuge about 15lbs and later some macro... All four tanks will be sharing the same water.. Each tank could be shut off from the loop..The sand has been in the 20g for over a week and will be adding LR to the 20g after everything is set up an i move the angler to that tank..

[bigdscobra]

so should i leave the fish out of the 29g and let all 4 tanks run together for a couple of days than reaclimate the fish, and put them back into the 29g???

[CD]

so should i leave the fish out of the 29g and let all 4 tanks run together for a couple of days than reaclimate the fish, and put them back into the 29g???


Well, since you are using all LS and cured LR, that sounds like the best course of action to me. If you have a place to keep all the fish (and corals) until you are *sure* all the params are OK, this would be best. Even though the sand you will be adding is live, there may be a mini cycle due to disturbing/moving the SB, but it shouldn't be bad depending on the condition of the sand. Were you planning on changing/adding to your filtration? Skimmer perhaps?

Looks like this will be a really cool project though! Show us more pics :pics

Wendy :)

[bigdscobra]

well the new filtration will kinda be a wet dry filter in the top of the sump you can kinda see it in that pic. the skimmer will be the same instead of hanging on the 29 it will be in the sump. I will try and post more pics it wouldent let me eariler saying my attachment quota is full
:(

[bigdscobra]

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